Seven signs that you may be looking at a phishing email

By FCT

We all get tons of emails every day. It starts out with visiting a new website—you subscribe to their email list to receive the latest content or discounts, and the cycle repeats every time you visit another site you like. Before you know it, you have 100s of unread emails cluttering your inbox.

Buried in the hordes of emails you actually subscribed to, could be a phishing email. Disguised as an email from a trusted source like a bank or even a friend, a phishing email contains malicious links that will steal important login information or infect your computer with a virus.

Would you recognize it if you saw it?

Here are a few signs that you may be looking at a phishing email:

1. You didn’t order anything, yet you get a receipt or notification that your package has been delivered or you have to confirm your information to receive something.

2. The email comes from an unsolicited source and asks you to verify your personal information, click a suspicious link or download an attachment.

3. The sender’s address has a slightly different spelling than your bank or regular online shopping site.

4. When you hover over a link in the email, you don’t recognize the address it is directing you to.

5. The email tries to create a sense of urgency to get you to enter personal information. i.e. the bank requires action or your password is expiring now!

6. The email contains poor grammar and spelling.

7. You get an email from a bank that you don’t use about a loan application or missed payments.

Are there any other signs you can think of to spot a phishing email? Share them with us in the comments section below!